January 13
1800s *1883 - Both of the New York ML clubs will play simultaneously at the Polo Grounds. Their fields will be separated by an 8-foot fence. 1900s-1960s *1922 - Former Chicago White Sox star Buck Weaver applies for reinstatement to baseball. Weaver, one of the eight “Black Sox” players banned for their involvement in throwing the 1919 World Series, is turned down by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. 1939 - New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert dies from phlebitis at age 62. In 1919, Ruppert purchased the land on which Yankee Stadium would eventually be built. *1954 - Veteran pitcher Murry Dickson is traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Andy Hansen and infielder Jack Lohrke. Dickson led the National League in losses the past two years (21 and 19) and will lead it again in 1954 (20). *1958: **The Spokane Indians, Salt Lake Bees, and Phoenix Giants join the Pacific Coast League. **New York Senator Kenneth Keating proposes a ban within 100-mile radius on telecasts into minor league territories. *1959: **New Jersey Senator Joseph W. Cowgill introduces a bill to build a stadium in Camden to induce the nearby Philadelphia Phillies to move to New Jersey. This effort is based on statements by Phillies owner Bob Carpenter that he is thinking of moving the team unless he gets a new stadium. **John Quinn resigns as general manager of the Milwaukee Braves and immediately accepts a similar post with the Phillies. 1970s-1980s *1972 - Former baseball umpire, now housewife, Bernice Gera wins her lawsuit against Organized Baseball, initiated on March 15, 1971. Gera is slated to umpire in the New York-Pennsylvania League starting in June. She will umpire just one game before deciding to call it quits. *1978 - Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy dies in Buffalo, New York, at the age of 90. McCarthy was the first manager to win pennants with both National and American League teams, won nine league titles overall and seven World Series championships. *1982 - Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson win election to the Hall of Fame in their first years of eligibility. Aaron established a major league record with 755 home runs, while Robinson led the Baltimore Orioles to two World Championships and was named Most Valuable Player in both the American and National Leagues. Aaron falls nine votes shy of becoming the first-ever unanimous selection, and his 97.8 election percentage is second only to Ty Cobb's 98.2 percent in the inaugural 1936 election. Robinson was also the first African American manager in major league history. *1988 - Longtime National League star Steve Garvey announces his retirement. Garvey played a total of 19 major league seasons, batting .294 with 272 home runs. Also a slick-fielding first baseman, Garvey helped the San Diego Padres to reach the 1984 World Series and contributed to National League pennants for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1981. 1990s *1991 - While playing for the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, Bo Jackson suffers a career-threatening injury in an AFC playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Originally diagnosed as a pulled thigh muscle, the Kansas City Royals learn of the severity of the injury just as spring begins. They will release Jackson shortly after, fearing that his baseball career is over, and he'll sign with the Chicago White Sox. *1993 - Free agents signings include outfielders Todd Benzinger and Mark Carreon by the San Francisco Giants and pitcher Craig Lefferts by the Texas Rangers. *1994 - The Anaheim Angels sign free agent pitcher Craig Lefferts while the Minnesota Twins sign free agent pitcher Jim Deshaies. *1995 - Baseball’s executive council approves the use of replacement players for spring training and regular season games. With the Players’ Association on strike, the owners say they will look to retired players, minor leaguers and amateurs to fill out their rosters. *1996 - The Florida Marlins sign Cuban pitcher Liván Hernández to a four-year $4.5 million contract, which includes a record $2.5 million bonus. 2000s *2000 - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sign free agent pitcher Steve Trachsel to a one-year contract. Trachsel, who led the Cubs in innings pitched (206) and posted a 8-18 record, was expected to ink a multi-year contract. *2001 - Major league baseball announces that the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays will open the 2001 season in Puerto Rico, marking the third straight year the season will begin outside the United States and Canada. *2005: **The owners unanimously approve the $223 million sale of the Milwaukee Brewers to Mark Attanasio, a Los Angeles investor. The purchase of team, formerly owned by the family of Commissioner Bud Selig, insures Milwaukee will keep their team due to a 30-year lease to play in newly built Miller Park. **Marvin Miller, the former executive-director of the Major League Players Association who helped to forever change the nature of the player-owner relationship, receives the Fuchs Award from the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. The honor, named in for Judge Emil E. Fuchs who owned the hometown Boston Braves from 1929 through 1935, is given for "long and meritorious service to baseball." **Under the watchful eye of national lawmakers, major league baseball and the players association agree in principle on a stricter steroid-testing policy. The new program will randomly test players year-round having first-time offenders suspended for 10 days and a fourth violation resulting in a one year ban for offending player. **The North Dakota House of Representatives approves a resolution proclaiming native son Roger Maris should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The lawmakers’ action, which was sponsored by Rep. Andy Maragos, orders the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the 85 members of the baseball veterans' committee, which includes the 60 living members enshrined in Cooperstown. *2006: **Relliever Matt Wise and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a $1.7 million, two-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. **Starter Grant Balfour agreed to a one-year, $340,000 contract with the Cincinnati Reds, who decided to take a calculated risk on a pitcher still recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery. **Reliever Dan Miceli agreed to a two-year, $1.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. **Pitcher Brett Myers avoided arbitration, agreeing to a $3.3 million, one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. **The Seattle Mariners agreed to a $1,875,000, two-year contract with reliever Julio Mateo that avoided salary arbitration. **First baseman Kevin Millar agreed to a $2.1 million, one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, who hope the former Boston Red Sox star can provide leadership and some punch in the lineup. Births *1901 - Fred Schulte, outfielder (d. 1983) *1944 - Larry Jaster, pitcher *1950 - Bob Forsch, pitcher *1950 - Mike Tyson, infielder *1953 - Odell Jones, pitcher *1954 - Steve Comer, pitcher *1958 - Mike Madden, pitcher *1962 - Kevin Mitchell, All-Star outfielder *1964 - Billy Jo Robidoux, infielder *1969 - Kevin Foster, pitcher *1969 - Orlando Miller, infielder *1971 - Elmer Dessens, pitcher *1972 - Akinori Otsuka, pitcher *1981 - José Capellán, pitcher *1981 - Darrell Rasner, pitcher *1983 - Andrew Sisco, pitcher Deaths *1939 - Jacob Ruppert, executive (b. 1867) *1944 - Kid Elberfeld, infielder (b. 1875) *1955 - Bill Dineen, pitcher (b. 1876) *1978 - Joe McCarthy, Hall of Fame manager (b. 1887) *1986 - Mike Garcia, All-Star pitcher (b. 1923) *1987 - Tom Morgan, pitcher (b. 1930) *2004 - Mike Goliat, infielder (b. 1921)